Chateau Haut-Batailley

History
Haut Batailley is the smaller sibling of neighbouring Batailley, having split from the larger estate in 1942. Thus much of this estate's history is as for Batailley, from its possible Medieval origins through to the early 20th Century, before the division, when it was under the control of two brothers by the name of François and Marcel Borie.
The name of the original Batailley estate suggests a military origin, a battle perhaps, and indeed this may be so. The vineyards of modern Bordeaux were, in many cases, the scenes of Anglo-French conflicts of varying degrees of ferocity during the course of the wars which are known, collectively, as the Hundred Years' War. An alternative explanation concerns a local vigneron named Batailley, who was credited with planting the vineyards here, although the case for this is less robust. It is also a less bloodthirsty tale, and thus obviously of less interest. Whatever the explanation, by the end of the 18th Century there is a vineyard here named Batailley, one which was to give rise to the Batailley and Haut-Batailley that exist today. At this time the vineyard was in the ownership of the Saint-Martin family, three siblings of whom two were of the cloth, one a nun and one a priest. Two of the three, the two sisters Marianne and Marthe, sold their portion of the estate to Jean Guillaume Pécholier in 1791.
From Pécholier it passed to his son, Amiral de Bédout, and following his death in 1816 the estate was sold by auction; it was purchased, not quite in its entirety, by Daniel Guestier of Barton & Guestier. He acquired most of the estate immediately, purchasing further shares and land, including plots adjacent to Lynch-Bages and Grand-Puy-Lacoste, later on. He was responsible for considerable investment in the property, renovating the chateau and improving the winemaking facilities. When he died in 1847 Batailley had garnered a good, although certainly not exalted, reputation, and the scene was set for the estate creeping in as a cinquième cru in the 1855 Classification of the Médoc.
The estate was inherited by Guestier's three children, divided rather unevenly with two daughters taking a quarter each and the son, Pierre-François, taking half. This state of affairs continued onto the next generation, each of the offspring of the two daughters taking on their quarter share respectively, but by 1866 the family decided to sell the estate, all involved relinquishing their respective shares, and it was acquired by a Parisian banker named Constant Halphen. By this time the estate had expanded considerably, from the 39 hectares extolled by Guestier to a very respectable 55 hectares, and its reputation was largely maintained under Halphen, when the vineyards were tended by the brothers François and Marcel Borie.
Upon Helphen's death in 1932, the Borie brothers purchased the estate and continued to make the wine for another decade, before in 1942 it was divided into the two properties we know today as Batailley and Haut-Batailley. This was not the result of some convoluted family struggle; rather it was to stave off future difficulties with the inheritance of the estate. The larger part, which came to Marcel, and which included the chateau, naturally kept the vineyard's original name of Batailley. François, who that year had purchased Ducru-Beaucaillou, kept the smaller part of the estate which, when augmented by some vines purchased from Duhart-Milon in 1951, became Haut-Batailley. It is at this point, then, that the two properties go their own ways. Naturally, François was largely preoccupied with Ducru, and Haut-Batailley was somewhat off his radar, and it remained this way until his death in 1953. Whereas Ducru passed to his son Jean-Eugène, who also went on to acquire a controlling stake in Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Haut-Batailley went to his daughter, Françoise de Brest-Borie. Management of the estate, however, was left to Jean-Eugène and today his son, François-Xavier, looks after it.
Nowadays’ Owner: Famille Borie
Manager: François-Xavier Borie
Technique Information
Location: In Pauillac, the west of Pichon-Longueville-Baron de Longueville.
Appellation: Appellation Pauillac Controlee
Neighboring Chateau: Chateau Latour(1st Growth of Pauillac in 1855)
Chateau Batailley(5th Growth of Pauillac in 1855)
Chateau Lynch-Bages(5th Growth of Pauillac in 1855)
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste(5th Growth of Pauillac in 1855)
Acreage: 22 hectares
Soil: gravelly terroir
Grape Varieties: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.
Average age of vines: 35 years
Cultivation Density: 10,000 vines/ha
Viticulture: Harvest is manual.
Winemaking: the fruit destemmed, and then fermented in stainless steel with temperature control, being going into oak for up to 20 months. Up to 40% of the barrels will be new each vintage. Before bottling the wines see a light filtration.
Yield: 40-45hl/ha
Brand: Château Haut-Batailley(First Label)(A.O.C. Pauillac)
Château La Tour d'Aspic(Second Label)(A.O.C. Pauillac)
Annually production: Château Haut-Batailley(First Label): 10,000 cases
Château La Tour d'Aspic(Second Label):1,700 cases
Character:
Château Haut-Batailley(First Label): Haut-Batailley has frequently turned out to be more pleasurable, a little brighter and more nimble on their feet, a charming fruity wine with soft berry flavors and vanilla overtones. And certainly they have given great value for money.
Best Vintages: Château Haut-Batailley(First Label): 1995, 2000, 2005
Award: 5th Growth of Pauillac in 1855.
Source:  http://www.thewinedoctor.com/bordeaux/hautbatailley.shtml
Serving Suggestion
Château Haut-Batailley(First Label):
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 75-85%, 15 ℃
Serving Temperature: 17-19 ℃
Optimum drinking and Ageing Potential: 10-15 years
Food Match:
Western Food: Beef, poultry, cheese (Saint Nectaire, Edam, and Gouda), pasta with cream sauce, hearty stew, pizza, pork, veal, game. Perfect dinner wine for all meat entrees and cheese courses.
Château La Tour d'Aspic(Second Label):
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 75-85%, 15 ℃
Serving Temperature: 16-18 ℃
Optimum drinking and Ageing Potential: From now on until 10 years
Food Match:
Western Food: Gently grilled beef tournedos, game pâtés, fish chowder, cheeses.